The Environmental Club will host a Fall Fest on the Garrison Quad on Monday, Oct. 7, from noon to 2 p.m. as a part of Stevenson University’s Sustainability Month.
A main element of the Fall Fest will be a baking competition, according to Brennan Kenealy, the vice president of the Environmental Club. Those competing in the baking competition must incorporate a fall-related food as the main ingredient. Students interested should contact the Environmental Club to participate.
A park ranger from Lake Roland park will also be attending the fest to provide environmental information and speak about opportunities there. The Residence Hall Association will also participate in the festival.
The Environmental Club will host a showing of the documentary “The Need to Grow” on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. in the MAC Solve rooms C and D. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Another event during Sustainability Month is a visit from sustainable clothing brand Patagonia. Stevenson’s Fashion Apparel and Design (FAD) club will host this event in the first half of October.
Other activities during Sustainability Month include a do-it-yourself bee house workshop, a stream cleanup, a rock painting event, a clothing drive, and more.
“We are all products of the environment,” said Kenealy, which is why sustaining the environment is so important. “Everything we base our society off of comes from the environment,” added environmental science student Terryl Acker-Carter.
The purpose of Sustainability Month is to encourage sustainable living and offer information about how to respect the planet. Events such as film screenings provide education and promote activism, while the do-it-yourself bee houses and magnetic Earth poetry events provide creative outlets for participants.
Sustainability Month also highlights different ways to live sustainably and respect the planet. “Everyone knows the small stuff, but now it’s time to start thinking on a bigger scale,” Acker-Carter said.
Kenealy explained that humans do not fully appreciate the environment and the outdoors because they have created their own “indoor environments.” Simple ways to value the outdoors include walking to class instead of taking the shuttle or studying in the quad instead of inside a building.
Students can practice sustainable living by participating in the “Fill it Forward” challenge that will run until Nov. 29. Students can start by downloading the Fill it Forward app. Every time students refill their reusable water bottles at a fountain on the Owings Mills North campus, they can scan the barcode on the flyer above the fountain in their app. For every 5, 15, 30, and 60 scans, students can win prizes.
More information about upcoming Sustainability Month events can be found by visiting the Stevenson Portal page as it is constantly being updated with new flyers and information. Students can also contact Holly Lentz-Schiller for more information.
